The Middle
by BourbonCowboy
Summary: A/U One-shot Complete! Kagome and Inuyasha have been married for eight years and have become a little complacent in their relationship with each other. This story explores the complex nature of balancing careers and family, acknowledging that it isn't always easy to try and meet in the middle.


The Middle

By: BourbonCowboy

An A/U one shot. In this sort of modern A/U, humans and demons have come to a tentative peace. The demons have their own land which they govern according to ancient demon law. Humans are allowed to live in the demon lands without any special governmental intervention, but they do so at their own risk. Most of the humans in the demon lands are either near-homeless gang members or else the mate of a demon. The human lands are ruled by a modern human government that is very distrustful of their demon neighbors. Demons are allowed to move to the human areas, but to gain citizenship they must enlist in and serve in the military for ten years minimum. Most choose to remain in the military as it provides them with purpose, protection, food/money/clothes, a place to sleep, etc. They spend the first ten years patrolling the border between the human/demon lands or the border with no man's land – a wild, uncharted land with rabid demons that cannot take human form and respect no governmental authority.

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The inspiration came from the song "The Middle" by Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey

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"Oh baby," Kagome sighed. Her voice was beyond tired. She was exhausted! The thirty-year-old emergency room physician had just come off a forty-eight-hour shift. She trudged to the elevator, whimpering gratefully when it opened at her approach as though the building could sense the young doctor's bone deep weariness and was saying "come on home, Kagome, let me take care of you." As the elevator doors whooshed shut, Kagome gave a rather un-ladylike snort at her own musings. What was that old vocabulary word for placing human thoughts and emotions on an inanimate object? She couldn't think of it in her sleep-deprived state. Instead, the young doctor shook her head to clear it. No need to psychoanalyze why she would put such comforting emotions into her building. She could guess that her husband would not be nearly as welcoming as she imagined the building was at that moment. The elevator rattled upwards. As though she had been suppressing thoughts of her husband until this point, now Kagome's weary mind could not stop thinking of him. In fact, she felt the gears start to crank, going around and around and around in a familiar, dizzying pattern. Kagome and her husband had been married for eight years and she loved him even more now than on their wedding day, if that was possible. But the man drove her crazy! Sure, he said he supported her career. He loved that she was a doctor. She had fought long and hard to get into and thru medical school and then secured one of the most difficult residencies as a human and youkai emergency room physician and surgeon. All of this while still supporting her half-demon military husband and raising their three small children. Yeah! Rosie the Riveter had nothing on Kagome Higurashi-Taisho, MD. Inuyasha showed her when they had time together how being with her was his favorite thing, how much he desired her still, and how much he loved their children. But on the day to day, Kagome felt like there was a big disconnect.

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open again and Kagome stepped out onto her floor. Her sensible work flats scuffed against the carpet in the hall as she made her way to her apartment door. Her keys made a familiar jingle-jangle sound as she unlocked the door. She slipped out of her shoes in the entryway looking around for her babies before realizing they were still with her mom. She was going to be picking them up in the morning. This was all pre-arranged, but she was so unused to coming home to a quiet house that it momentarily confused her. The young doctor sighed. She dropped the house keys into a square silver bowl on the entryway table along with some change from her pocket, a couple of hard candies, a bandaid, and some children's stickers. She placed her cell phone on the table and hung her stethoscope, white coat and ID badge from the hook above. Her backpack which doubled as a purse and on the go medical kit hung on the hook next to her coat.

Kagome made a bee-line for the kitchen. Her stomach was growling loudly now as she tried to remember the last time she had anything to eat. Every time she had tried to eat in the last twelve hours she had been interrupted. Her mind replayed the cases in a detached clinical manner. She had just sat down in the tiny doctor's break room with a sandwich from the cafeteria, a bag of chips, an apple and a can of soda. Not much in the way of lunch, but better than nothing. Her pager was sitting on the table and as she picked up her sandwich to take the first bite the blasted thing started to vibrate. Kagome set her sandwich down and picked up the offensive object to look at the readout. "911 incoming. Human. GSW. Penetrating chest trauma". Lunch forgotten, Kagome had stood, grabbing her coat from the back of her chair she clipped the pager into the waistband of her green scrub pants and started off at a brisk walk towards the emergency department. She figured she probably had about five minutes before the paramedics came in with her new patient. As she hustled, she tugged her long, wavy black hair into a messy bun on top of her head to keep the hair out of the way while she worked. When she rounded the corner into the trauma bay, she could already see a small crowd of doctors, nurses, x-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, hospital security, and registration outside one of the twenty major trauma rooms. Their hospital was designated as a Level 1 Trauma Center and teaching hospital. That meant that all of the bad trauma that needed immediate surgical intervention came to this facility. Kagome saw the two paramedics pushing their stretcher into the hall and out of the way. She went straight for the one holding the computer, knowing this was the one who had been in charge of patient care and would be able to give the report. It helped, too, that she recognized the young woman. "Hey, Leah, what do you have for me?" Kagome asked with a gentle smile. Leah looked up from where she was frowning at her computer screen, her brown eyes going wide momentarily at being addressed by her first name and then her face relaxed into an easy smile. "Hey Dr. Taisho," Leah brushed a strand of her long brunette hair out of her eyes and nodded her head towards the trauma room where a team of doctors and nurses where doing an in-depth trauma assessment on the patient. "You've got a twenty-four-year-old male, multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and torso. He is awake, alert, and oriented, GCS of 15, protecting his airway for the moment. He had diminished breath sounds on the right and at one point his oxygen sats started dropping and he started working hard for air. I performed a needle decompression for suspected tension pneumothorax and was successful, but you know he's going to need a chest tube." Kagome nodded at this and asked, "How were his vitals?" The paramedic frowned again. "He's maintaining a blood pressure of 90 over palp, I started a line for you with blood tubing, but I did not push any fluids because he is still mentating, like I said GCS of 15. We're still focusing on permissive hypotension as long as there's no suspected head trauma. You should have seen the scene! When we first approached and saw him lying on the ground there was so much blood I thought for sure he had bled out. Also, one of the bullets caused a partial evisceration. We covered it with wet sterile dressings but I have a feeling you've got your work cut out for you, doc." Kagome nodded and started towards the trauma room, thanking the paramedic for all of her hard work. Kagome had known the paramedic for about seven years now and knew that she was solid. Pausing at the threshold as the crowd of doctors stepped out to the yell of "X-ray! X-ray!" She waited until the x-ray tech had finished and then moved over to the computer screen with the attending ER physician and the resident to review the screens. Looking at the shadow over the PT's right lung Kagome nodded. "Definitely a pneumo. But I don't want to waste time on a chest tube now. Let's get him up to surgery." She looked at the resident, "Would you like to assist?" The resident, Dr. Moriko, gulped nervously but then nodded her head. "That would be great, Dr. Taisho." The team whisked the patient up to surgery where they removed several bullets, repaired damaged organs and tissues, fixed the evisceration, and put in a chest tube to keep the patient's lung inflated while it healed.

Several hours later, Kagome had found herself back in the doctor's lounge, this time holding a cup of soup and some hearty bread from the aptly named food truck "Soup". No sooner had she set her meal on the table and turned to get a water from the cooler than her pager signaled another incoming. Sighing in defeat, she checked the readout and then stopped breathing. "911 incoming. Half-demon soldier. Assault. Multiple blunt/penetrating trauma. Helipad." Kagome forgot that she was tired. She forgot that she was hungry. Her entire being focused on the readout as she begged the kami to let it not be him. Please don't let it be my Inuyasha. Most of the time she walked at a brisk pace wherever she was going. Emergency personnel only really run in the movies, she had joked once. But in this instant, with her heart now beating double-time in her chest and her lungs crying out for oxygen as she released the breath she did not know she was holding, Kagome RAN. She yanked open the door to the physician's lounge and sprinted towards the stairs thinking "Fucking elevator is too slow!" as she bolted past it and took the stairs two at a time towards the helipad on the roof. She burst through the door into the blinding mid-afternoon sun and threw a hand up to shield her eyes from the dust kicked up by the rotors as the helicopter jolted to a stop on the helipad. She felt like it was a small eternity before the rotors stopped whirring and she was able to safely approach. The two army medics jumped out, pulling the gurney with them. All Kagome could see at that moment was a clawed hand sticking out from under the sheet. Then the gurney came to a stop next to her and Kagome looked down into the face of her patient. It wasn't Inuyasha. He appeared to be half wolf demon and he appeared to be in a lot of pain. Kagome gave herself a moment, just one small moment to feel relief that her husband, wherever he was, was still safe and sound and then she switched back into doctor mode. She accompanied the medics and patient to the elevator and down to the ER trauma bay, shooting out rapid fire questions to the medics and the patient as she performed a quick initial assessment on the way to the trauma room. Looking over the x-rays, Kagome determined that the patient would likely not need surgery. There was evidence of internal bleeding, but the patient's demon blood was already activated and working to repair the damage much faster than a human surgeon could. Kagome remained with the other ER doctors and the patient for a while, monitoring his progress as he healed. She stayed ready to rapidly intervene should it look like the patient was taking a turn for the worse. The resident, the same young doctor who had assisted with her earlier surgery, asked a lot of good questions regarding the treatment plan and how it differed with a demon or half-demon as opposed to a human. Kagome was well-respected in the field as an emergency interventionist especially when it came to demons and half-demons as she had spent the beginning of her career serving in the military hospital where human patients were few and far between. In fact, it's how she had met her husband.

Of course, after all the excitement, Kagome never did get to eat anything. Shuffling through her kitchen at home, Kagome dug idly through her pockets. She tossed a lone blue medical glove in the wastebasket as she headed for the microwave. She opened the door and peeked inside, feeling dejected. Not that she was keeping score or anything, but she frequently left a plate of supper in the microwave for her husband when she knew he was working late. A quick glance at the calendar hanging on the wall confirmed that her husband should have been home last night and at least until 1500hrs today, making her earlier panic about the injured half-demon soldier feel silly. Kagome brushed that off though, knowing it wasn't the first time and would not be the last time that she let her emotions override her common sense, even if only for a minute. Now her bottom lip poked out as she stared at the empty microwave. He totally could have made her a plate of something! Even a cup of ramen left out with a note saying he was thinking of her would have been greatly appreciated. It was the little things that she missed most. Little things that he used to do back when they were newly married to let her know she was not just loved but cherished. She closed the microwave and began poking thru the cabinets already knowing there would be nothing but crumbs. After all, she had the shopping list pinned up with the calendar along with a note to remind herself to go shopping before she picked up the kids in the morning. She scrounged half a broken cookie, chewing thoughtlessly as she pulled open the refrigerator. The light inside took a second to flicker to life as though trying to spare her the disappointment a moment longer. Inside the cold box was an assortment of condiments, the dregs of a gallon of milk, an empty carton of eggs, and a bag that once held grapes but now only had the dried stems. She could blame the pilfered fruit on her seven-year-old. The kid ate fruit like it was going out of style. The eggs and milk though, that was her husband. As she allowed the refrigerator door to drift closed her eyes slid over to the stove, confirming her suspicions. There was the dirty skillet which her husband apparently used to make himself an omelet for breakfast. The skillet, the stove, the counter and the floor around the area all showed signs of her husband's reckless cooking. Kagome eyed a spot of what looked like egg on the floor which was sure to be sticky. She hated sticky things.

Too tired to do anything about the mess now, Kagome shuffled herself back to the living room. She debated skipping dinner all together, but she knew that she needed to do paperwork before bed and needed something to keep her going. She picked up the home phone, a corded relic from times past that hung on the wall in the hallway and called the corner deli. When the owner answered she politely requested a light meal be sent up to her apartment. The deli did not normally deliver, but Kagome had befriended the young demon couple who owned the restaurant when she and Inuyasha had first moved into the building, back when she was still a resident at the smaller local community hospital. She had been coming home from the park with her kids when she had seen a couple of teenagers bullying a small demon child in the shadows of an alley. Even if she hadn't been a mother of mixed race children, Kagome could never abide bullies. She had stepped into the alley, standing in front of the double stroller where her own two children (the youngest not having been born yet) watched with wide eyes. "Hey, you kids!" The three teens had jumped at the sound of her voice and then relaxed at the sight of the young woman with her stroller. "Get out of here, lady!" one had snickered. Another chuckled and shoved the small demon boy back further into the alley. Kagome felt her temper flare. She clenched her hands into fists, feeling her powers surge. Now she had all three bullies' undivided attention. Kagome resisted the urge to smirk at their looks of fear and awe. Instead, she moved her arms up like she was holding an invisible bow. Her power stretched to accommodate her will and a shimmering pink bow and arrow appeared in her hands. She leveled the tip of the arrow at the oldest teen who had been advancing on her menacingly. The teen stopped dead in his tracks. The little switchblade knife that he had been clutching in his fist dropped to the ground as he held his hands up now. "Shit guys she's a priestess!" Kagome sidestepped ever so slightly to give the teens a clear path to escape the alley while still standing protectively in front of her children in their stroller. "You boys need to get lost. If I ever see you around here again you won't get a warning shot." That said, she let loose her arrow. The arrow, made of pure energy, zipped past the largest teen's ear and embedded itself in the brick wall behind him before winking out of existence. The three bullies screamed and high tailed it out of the alley, around the corner of the building and did not stop running until they were far from sight. Kagome let her powers fade. Once she had stopped glowing she took a deep breath and let it out. Then, pushing her stroller, she approached the child who was still huddled in a ball in the shadows. "It's okay, sweetie. They're gone." Kagome soothed. The child's head lifted and a bright green eye regarded Kagome warily. Familiar with both trauma victims and children, Kagome had not attempted to touch the child. She knelt down so that her eyes were level with his and offered a gentle smile. "My name is Kagome. I'm a priestess and a doctor at the hospital up the street." There was only one hospital on this side of town and it served both humans from low-income neighborhoods and also demons. It was the only hospital in the district to serve demons. She could tell that this information had given her a small amount of credibility in the kid's eyes. That combined with the fact that she had stopped to help, and he had felt her holy powers, put the child at ease. He sat up and brushed the dirt off of his clothes. Then he had smiled shyly. "Thanks, Miss Dr. Kagome. I'm Shippo." His fluffy tail twitched, and Kagome avoided the sudden desire to snatch him up and cuddle him. Instead, she rallied her professionalism, cleared her throat and said "Its nice to meet you, Shippo. Would you like for me to walk you home?" Shippo readily agreed and fell into line next to Kagome as she pushed the double stroller with her two boys towards home. First, he eyed the two boys in the stroller, ages three and a half and one year. Shippo's nose twitched a mile a minute as he observed the two children who gave him back look for look back. "They're half-demons!" Shippo exclaimed in delight, looking up at Kagome with new-found amazement. Kagome smiled. "Yes. They're father is a half-demon." In the stroller, the older boy, Hiro, asked in his tiny voice, "Are you a racoon-dog?" Shippo turned red in embarrassment. "I'm not a racoon-dog! I'm a fox!" Hiro sniffed at Shippo and then looked at his mother, his golden eyes shining as he smiled a tiny fanged-tooth smile. "Look mama! Fox!" Kagome chuckled and told her boys that they were going to walk Shippo home. The smaller boy, Tasuki, simply giggled and babbled at this news. Hiro kept up a steady stream of conversation with the young fox-demon as they walked. Shippo told her his family owned the deli on the corner across from her building and they lived in the apartment over the store. Kagome had chuckled and said "What a coincidence! We just moved into the apartment building across the street. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again. Do your parents make good food?" It was a leading question. Kagome tucked her tongue in her cheek as little Shippo's chest puffed up with pride. "They make the best food in town!" They were not far from home, Kagome having taken her boys to a park only four blocks over. It took less than five minutes of walking before they found themselves back in their own block. Arriving at the deli, Shippo held the door open so Kagome could maneuver the stroller inside. A beautiful auburn-haired woman stepped out from behind the deli counter, smiling warmly. Kagome noted that her bright green eyes were a perfect match for Shippo's. "Hello there! Who are these handsome young boys?" She bent down at the waist to greet the boys in the stroller. "I'm Hiro!" the older boy said smugly, "And this is Baby Tasuki. He can't talk yet. He doesn't have any fangs!" The woman chuckled and told the boys with mock solemnity that she was very pleased to meet them and inquired if they would like something to eat. Just then Shippo popped out from behind Kagome. The woman was so startled she momentarily lost her glamour and her long beautiful fox tail appeared behind her. "Shippo!" she scolded, face turning bright red at her slip. Kagome waved a hand dismissively, pointing out what she knew the vixen could already smell – that her children were half-demons and she had nothing to fear from them. That had been the start of one of Kagome's closest friendships. The vixen had introduced herself as Trixie, Shippo's mom. After Shippo had explained how Kagome had come to walk him home, Trixie had insisted that Kagome stay for supper. A table was prepared and Shippo's father came out of the kitchen to join them briefly, in between orders. Hiro and Shippo were fast friends and the two mothers watched them play with fondness in their eyes. While the boys were distracted, Trixie thanked Kagome again stating that they had been having increasing problems with a gang of young human boys harassing them but were afraid to go to the police. Sure, her husband had served his minimum ten years military service in exchange for citizenship for himself and his family, but that didn't mean that they were oblivious to the discrimination that plagued demon citizens in the human zone. They could neither retaliate against the young humans nor expect any sort of help from the police force. Kagome had been angry and sad listening to Trixie's woes and had vowed to do something about it. After leaving the deli, taking home two large bowls of homemade ramen for her husband, Kagome began to plan. When Inuyasha had returned home that night, Kagome had told him about the fox demons' troubles. Initially reluctant to stick his nose into someone else's business, Inuyasha had changed his tune when Kagome put his bowl of ramen in front of him. Between slurping up noodles, Inuyasha proclaimed that they could not let those wonderful cooks, umm…I mean people! Be driven away by a bunch of foolish teens and an apathetic police force. Kagome still wasn't too sure what all her husband had done in the dark of night to scare the vandals, but within a month the young fox family reported that they were no longer having any sorts of problems with the gang and that business was booming. As a thank you to Kagome and Inuyasha, Todd and Trixie Kitsune promised to always keep them well-fed and to even send young Shippo up to their apartment with food if they could not make it down to the deli. This was especially appreciated when Kagome became pregnant with their third child, a girl they named Izayoi after Inuyasha's deceased mother.

Kagome hung up the phone after Todd promised to send Shippo up with today's special shortly. Kagome had asked him to let Shippo know she was might be in the shower so to just let himself in and leave the food on the kitchen counter. The fox-demon family had a key to the Taisho apartment and the Taisho's had a key to their apartment and the deli, in case of emergency. That taken care of, Kagome trudged towards the master bedroom. Her eyes roamed over the mess that was the living room. She could easily see the dent in the couch where Inuyasha had been sitting playing video games before he had left for work. She knew he had been playing video games because the television was on, paused on the save game screen and the game controller was on the coffee table instead of put away. On the end table next to Inuyasha's spot were two cans of soda, an empty bag of chips and an empty can of dip. Kagome did not even bother to roll her eyes at the realization that her husband had obviously stopped by a corner store and picked up junk food for himself as opposed to taking the grocery list, going to the store and purchasing the items that the rest of the family would need this week. It wasn't that Inuyasha thought that it was Kagome's job to take care of the children, the housework, the shopping, and the cooking. He just never thought about doing it himself unless Kagome specifically asked him to at least three times. Kagome huffed out a breath thinking she did not like playing the role of nagging wife, but she didn't know what else to do. It certainly wasn't fair to expect her to do so much on top of her job, but it also wasn't fair for Inuyasha to do everything on his own as well as _his_ job. "Why can't he just meet me in the middle?" she grumped, looking into the children's shared bedroom and grimacing at the destruction before closing the door. That was a task for another day. Out of sight, out of mind! She continued down the hall to the master bedroom, glaring at the unmade bed and the pile of laundry on the floor instead of in the basket. "Just don't worry about the house right now, girl!" she told herself, "Just take a shower, eat dinner, finish your reports and go to bed!"

She pulled a pair of comfortable pajamas out of her dresser drawer. They were ancient! She had probably owned them before she even met her husband! But the soft pink cotton pants and tank top with kitty cat pawprints were her favorite, most comfortable go-to clothes after an exceptionally bad day. Kagome wasn't even aware that she only sought out those particular pajamas when she had reached critical mass on her stress-o-meter, but Inuyasha knew. Usually, when he saw her in those pajamas, the half-demon would make his mate a cup of hot tea, put on some soft music, and enlist the children's help in quickly tidying the house so that when mama got out of the bath she could sit down and relax. But Inuyasha was not home to see his mate in her "I'm too stressed out for life right now" pajamas. Snagging a pair of slippers, Kagome retreated to the bathroom. Normally after a day like today, Kagome would like nothing better than a long soak in the bathtub with lavender bath oil and some candles. She knew that was cliché, but she really didn't care. Tonight though, she knew that if she were to indulge in a bath she would likely just fall asleep in the tub. Better to take a quick shower and wash her hair, put on her pajamas and get her work done.

When Shippo let himself into the apartment ten minutes later, Kagome was emerging from the bathroom with her hair in a towel wearing "those pajamas". His eyes went wide for a moment, well aware of what they signified. Quickly deciding to keep his thoughts to himself, Shippo held up the plastic bag with Kagome's dinner. "Hey Kagome!" he smiled broadly. The priestess turned surgeon smiled back. She never took out her stress on Shippo, for which the young fox-demon was grateful. "Papa made you an extra-large portion of udon. And I brought you a bottle of water too." Kagome thanked the boy and asked that he just put it in the kitchen as she finished toweling dry her hair. She followed him into the kitchen. Glancing again at the calendar she realized that it was almost the end of the school year. "Are you preparing for exams, Shippo?" she asked, noticing how instead of just leaving her dinner on the counter the boy was getting everything out and setting a place for her at the table. Shippo shrugged at the question. "I'm not cramming or anything. Papa makes sure I keep up with my schoolwork throughout the year, so I feel really well-prepared come exam time. I'm actually leading a study group in a few days to help some of the other kids in my class get ready for the tests." He pulled out the chair in front of the dinner he had placed on the table and Kagome came and sat down, thanking him. She leaned over and took a big whiff of the delicious aroma coming from her favorite noodle dish. "This looks amazing, Shippo. Please tell your Papa I said thank you!" she gushed earnestly. Shippo blushed a little as he promised he would pass on her thanks. She invited him to sit with her while she ate. Kagome honestly enjoyed the boy's company and loved him as one of her own children. Shippo declined to take a seat, saying he needed to get back to help out. That didn't stop the young fox from leaning casually over the back of one of the kitchen chairs as he watched Kagome eat. He could see the dark circles under her eyes indicating a lack of sleep. He knew from experience she only ever asked for food to be brought up to her apartment if she or the kids were sick or if she was just overwhelmingly tired. A glance at the family calendar on the wall confirmed his suspicion that Kagome had been burning the candle at both ends for a little too long. He had to tamp down on the irritation he felt with Inuyasha for not adequately taking care of his mate. Did Inuyasha forget that she was only human? All of these clues, combined with Kagome's ancient and thread-bare pajamas, had Shippo wishing he could blow off his other responsibilities to stay and take care of the woman he thought of as a second mother. He knew that wasn't really what she needed, and he didn't want to be in her way since she had indicated she had more work to do tonight before she could go to bed. He decided to stay for a few extra minutes and told Kagome more about the upcoming exams at human school. "And after I finish all of those tests, Papa is taking me to practice for the fox-demon exam." Kagome nodded, having spoken with Trixie several times regarding the young vixen's worries about them leaving for Mononoke, the land to the north that was governed according to demon law. While it would be dangerous for a human priestess and her half-blood children to visit Mononoke, Kagome had assured Trixie that her full-demon husband and son would be perfectly fine. It wasn't like they were going west to no-man's land. The fox-demons of Mononoke lived well to the north-east, in the forests along the coast. Todd had told the Taisho family stories of his youth growing up in the wilds with all the other foxes, badgers, raccoon-dogs, and other tricksters who roamed the forests. While some of the larger demons who did not approve of demons and humans intermingling might want to give Todd and Shippo a hard time for living in the human-governed country of Edo, Todd had promised that they would not be lingering in those demons' territory. Trixie was still anxious, but the vixen had promised to remain behind and run the deli in her husband's absence. With Inuyasha and Kagome, as well as their other friends Sango and Miroku all close by, Todd knew his mate would be safe and well-cared for in his absence. For her part, Kagome felt honored that the fox-demon family put so much faith in her. As Shippo continued to extoll the virtues of the fox-demon exam, Kagome made a mental promise to check on Trixie at least once a day while her men were away.

Soon Kagome had eaten her fill. She thanked Shippo for the food and the company and walked the boy to the front door, asking him to text her when he got home so she knew he was safe. While their neighborhood was now one of the safest in their district thanks to the protection of a certain half-demon, Kagome still didn't like to take chances with safety. She closed and locked the front door and leaned against it a moment, feeling more tired than she had earlier. The udon was delicious of course and now she just wanted to curl up on the sofa with a blanket, put on a romantic movie she had seen too many times, and go to sleep. Instead, she made herself go back to the kitchen and tidy up. She covered the leftover udon and put it in the refrigerator, throwing away her disposable chopsticks and thinking to herself again how lucky she was for friends like the Kitsunes who thought about things like not having to wash utensils when they sent food her way. She kept coming back to the thought that it was the little everyday things that people did that she really appreciated and was missing from her husband.

Maybe he had just grown complacent. They had been married for eight years now. He no longer worried that his mate was going to one day wake up and realize she didn't want to be married to a half-demon and leave him. Sighing, Kagome remembered a time when he had been surly and abrasive when she was polite or smiled at him. That had been in the early days when they had first met. As a priestess, Kagome had had to serve in the Spiritualist's Corp for four years. She had met Inuyasha when she was fifteen years old, fresh out of Spiritualist Boot Camp, as she had affectionately called her training from age fourteen to fifteen. As a young priestess, she had been given a bow and arrows and assigned to a more experienced group of soldiers patrolling the border between Edo and no-man's land. The majority of the soldiers were men, though there were some women, and they were predominately demons. Kagome had grown up as part of a shrine family in this modern-age of humans and demons living and working together and she held no prejudice against demons. She figured they were all, humans and demons alike, just people trying to make their way in the world. She had been in their camp for no more than twenty minutes when three wolf demons came stumbling out of the forest half carrying, half dragging a silver haired demon between them. As a priestess, Kagome was trained to heal and so she had rushed forward to receive her patient. "What happened?" she asked the nearest wolf-demon, a man with a blond mohawk. Without any direction from the young priestess, the wolves continued to carry/drag their injured comrade towards a tent with a large red cross on it that Kagome assumed was her medical station. Having been in the camp no more than a few minutes she hadn't had time to familiarize herself with her supplies. "We were on patrol at the far side of the territory," Hakkaku explained, "when this giant centipede demon attacked out of nowhere. Ginta and I were cornered. We thought for sure we were done for! Then Inuyasha jumped in and took the beast on with nothing but his claws. You should have seen it, Kouga," he addressed one of his comrades who was helping to lay the injured demon on a cot in the medical officer's tent for Kagome to look over. Kouga huffed and said, "The dumb mutt almost got himself killed." They lay the man down on the cot and Kagome leaned forward to brush his sweat-soaked silver bangs back from his forehead. _'He doesn't look much older than me,'_ she thought, studying the handsome face below her. Her eyes drifted up into his hair, following her hand's motion and she caught sight of the cutest pair of triangular puppy ears on top of the boy's head. She wanted so badly to reach up and touch them but thought better of it. Maybe if he stayed asleep after she finished fixing him up? With the wolves' help, Kagome got the boy stripped down to his underclothes and took quick stock. He had quite a few bumps, bruises and scrapes that were already healing. What was of major concern was the large gaping hole where the boy's stomach should be. "Oh my goodness!" she gasped, "How is he not dead? Quick! I need bandages!" As she started to apply bandages to the huge wound, the boy groaned. His eyes flickered open and he looked at her in confusion for a moment before registering the others in the room and relaxing back on the cot, letting the priestess care for him. "Keh! Like a wimpy demon like that could ever kill me!" he groused. The wolves all chuckled and then, assured that he probably wouldn't die if he could be his usual pain-in-the-ass self, they left Kagome alone in the tent with her patient. Kagome worked quickly and quietly, watching in amazement as the minor injuries on the boy's body healed themselves as she worked. Seeing her awe, Inuyasha blushed. "I ain't like you humans," he said gruffly, by way of explanation. "I'm half-demon. All of us with demon blood tend to be harder to kill and quicker to heal. You don't even need to bother with that bandage. I'll be fine in a day, two tops without your help." Kagome stared into his golden eyes. Inuyasha gulped nervously. It felt like she was looking straight into his soul. He wasn't far off in that assessment. Kagome was using her priestess powers to see his aura. She sensed his pride in his strength, his strong body. She also sensed his loneliness. Despite being surrounded by other demons he didn't feel like he fit in. She wondered if that had to do with his half-demon status, as he had said. She could feel that he thought she should be repulsed by him and that he was trying to spare her from having to touch his disgusting half-breed body. Kagome blinked, refocusing her eyes on the boy in front of her instead of his aura. She offered him her biggest, brightest smile. "I'm sure you would be, but it's really my pleasure to help you. You shouldn't have to suffer while you wait for your body to heal." Surprised and a little embarrassed, Inuyasha frowned at her. "Feh. You're a weird one. You're never gonna last out her in no-man's land. But since you'll probably go home tomorrow, I might as well let you dress my wounds now." Unperturbed, Kagome had seen through his grouchy exterior to the man beneath who desperately longed for contact and friendship. Kagome had kept working in silence, promising herself that she would be there for this man as long as he would let her.

Kagome had remained the priestess attached to Inuyasha's company of soldiers for three years. At age eighteen, she had been released from her service and permitted to return to her life with the stipulation that of course the government could always call upon her to rejoin the Spiritualists should war break out. During her three years with the battery, she had grown to know and love the men and women she served with. That was where she had befriended the human demon slayer, Sango, who fought alongside the demons and half-demons without fear. She and Inuyasha had slowly grown closer together. Almost before she knew it, Kagome had fallen in love with the half-demon, but he kept her at arm's length. On her last day, as she prepared to leave to return to her family's shrine, Kagome had bravely gone to Inuyasha and asked if she could keep in touch with him and if he would maybe consider visiting her when he had leave. Inuyasha had been surprised and a little wary of such continued contact but a month later when he was granted leave, he found himself at her family's shrine almost against his will. He later told Kagome that he had been drawn to her like a moth to the flame. The analogy was fitting as with her powers of purity she could completely destroy him. They had continued to exchange letters and the occasional phone call for the next couple of years. Inuyasha had fully supported Kagome when she said she was going to continue to pursue a career in medicine and that she wanted to be able to treat humans and demons alike. She had already been accepted into medical school upon her return from service and had started doctor training three months later. It wasn't until her second year of medical school when Inuyasha came to visit her in her dorm that they finally became lovers, something they both confessed to having been wanting for a long time. Inuyasha had explained that he could not dishonor her by taking her to his tent while they had been in the field. What with all the demons in the camp there would have been no hiding what the two were up to. He didn't want Kagome to get a bad reputation. He also wasn't sure how she felt about him. Sure, he knew she treated both humans and demons the same and she thought of him as a friend, but he never thought that one day they could be more. Kagome, of course, understood his concerns and told him that she believed everything happened for a reason. It was better that they had waited until they were both sure of themselves and their feelings. After becoming lovers, Kagome would often wake to find Inuyasha watching her with a confused expression in his golden eyes. "How could you want me?" he would ask. "I'm just a worthless half-demon. Not fully human, not fully demon. I don't belong anywhere." Kagome would wrap her aura around his as she rested her hand on his cheek. With a gentle smile, Kagome would tell him, "That's not true, Inuyasha. You are priceless to me. And you belong at my side, for the rest of our lives." A year later they were married and barely nine months after that, Hiro was born. Being a military spouse and new mother while starting her residency training had been difficult. Her fellow residents often asked her how she did it. But Kagome had just waved off their adulation. She had the best husband/mate that a girl could ask for and she couldn't imagine her life any other way.

Blinking in surprise, Kagome realized that as she was reminiscing she had been cleaning the kitchen. The stove and counter tops sparkled. The dishes were clean and set to dry. She had even swept and mopped apparently. With a chuckle at her own silliness, Kagome put the mop back in its bucket and made her way to the living room, pausing only a moment at the drip-drip-drip coming from the faucet. She glanced over and groaned. Hadn't she asked Inuyasha to see if he could fix that darned leak? Oh well. Worry about that tomorrow. She went back to the front door and retrieved her case files from her backpack. She checked her phone which showed a text from Shippo stating he had made it home safe and sound. Then she headed over to her desk in the corner of the living room. _'This shouldn't take long. I just need to put in some quick notes and then I can curl up with my blanket and my movie. It's kind of nice having the house all to myself. All I have to worry about right now is me.'_ With that, she set to work. It was already ten o'clock.

Unbeknownst to Kagome, the young fox-demon had not just texted her, but he had also texted a certain half-demon. At the soldier's barracks on the other side of the district, Inuyasha pulled his phone out to re-read the text from Shippo. "Kagome is wearing THOSE pajamas." It had been sent at nine o'clock. Inuyasha could easily piece together what had led to this text. Kagome had gotten off of work, come home and found nothing to eat and so had called the Kitsunes and asked if they could please send her something up. Even when she was exhausted and stressed Kagome never snapped at people. Well, other people anyway. She had sharpened her temper on her mate more times than he could count. Inuyasha checked the time. It was almost one in the morning. He had finished all of his work and they wouldn't be needing him for a few more days until they were ready to head back to the field. He could afford to take some personal time and go home and check on his mate. Deciding that he would do just that, Inuyasha went to find Kouga and let him know that he could be reached on his cell if they needed him.

Twenty minutes later, Inuyasha was speeding down the abandoned streets of the military district. He kept replaying Shippo's text in his head. "She's wearing THOSE pajamas." The pajamas she only put on when she had reached critical mass for stress. The ratty, threadbare pajamas she had owned since he met her. He was pretty sure that her mother had given them to her as a Christmas present when she started her spiritualist training. They were the first pair of pajamas he had ever seen her in, back when she had been the priestess assigned to his unit. He had sought the shelter of the priestess' tent on the night of the new moon. He rarely left his tent after dark most nights, so as not to give away when exactly his human night was. On the day preceding the new moon, Inuyasha would pretend to retire to his tent but instead sneak into the priestess' tent where his human aura would be masked by her much larger holy aura. It was a system that had worked well for him throughout his tenure in the military. Of course, the new moon had arrived only a week and a half after Kagome's arrival and he had not had the chance to warn her of what it meant. So as the sun started to sink below the horizon, Inuyasha had slipped under the back flap and into the healer's tent. Kagome had her back to him, which was a good thing considering she was shirtless. Inuyasha blushed and averted his gaze. His ears remained riveted on the young priestess and told him when she had finished pulling on the top half of a pair of pink pajamas with pawprints on them. Then with a gentle throat clearing, he let Kagome know she was no longer alone. Kagome had gasped quietly but at Inuyasha's wide terror-filled eyes she had remained quiet. Inuyasha crossed quickly to her desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. He quickly jotted down a question. "Do you have a soundproof barrier around the tent?" Kagome shook her head no and held up a finger. She concentrated, brows pinching together and nose scrunching up. Inuyasha felt a ripple of power and then Kagome smiled brightly at him. "There! Now we can talk," she said, "Are you okay, Inuyasha?" The half-demon's ears drooped on his head and he blushed faintly. "In your training…how much did you learn about half-demons?" he finally asked quietly. It had only taken Kagome a second to pick up on what must have him so nervous. "Oh! Is it your time of the month?" she asked gently. Inuyasha's face flamed an even brighter shade of red. "You make me sound like a woman on her cycle!" Unperturbed by his outburst, Kagome just shrugged and said, "Well you certainly are acting like you have PMS." Inuyasha snorted a "keh" and crossed his arms over his chest, still not looking at the priestess. Kagome did not force the issue. She knew from her training that half-demons guarded the secret of their human time very closely. It must be very difficult for him to let an almost stranger in on the secret. But she had also learned in her training to expect for any half-breed in her company to seek shelter in the priestess' tent to mask their transformation and loss of powers. Instead of badgering him as she waited for his transformation or for him to decide to share any personal remarks, Kagome crossed over to her bookshelf next to her desk. She selected a good mystery book and tossed it to the young man in her tent. Inuyasha caught it effortlessly and stared from the book to the priestess and back. "I figure you'd like something to do rather than stare at the wall all night." Inuyasha blushed. At that moment the sun finally sunk below the horizon. His demon-blood pulsed and then went dormant. Kagome watched in fascination as his adorable ears turned into human ears and slid down to rest on either side of his head. His beautiful silver hair changed to black and his golden eyes turned brown. The transformation was over in the span of a heartbeat. If she had blinked, she would have missed it. Kagome wanted so badly to ask him a million questions regarding his transformation, but she bit her tongue and played with the hem of her pink tank top that was a bit too big. Inuyasha thanked her for the book and settled himself down on the floor in the corner to wait out the night. Another wave of holy power brushed past him and Inuyasha looked up at the priestess in her pink kitten pajamas. She looked like a little girl who had no business being out on the edge of no-man's land. "What the hell was that?" he asked, regarding the surge of power he had felt. Kagome wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and then smiled. "I just put up a protective barrier. It's just around my tent but it will prevent anyone else, human or demon, from coming in here unannounced. I thought you might like the privacy." Inuyasha had just stared at her in confused disbelief. Kagome had told him he was welcome to sleep on the patient cot and then she bid him goodnight and went to her own field bed on the other side of the tent, behind a small privacy screen. For the next three years while Kagome was assigned to their unit, once a month Inuyasha would seek out the safety of her tent to wait out his vulnerable human time. Each month she met him with a smile, a book, and a warm mug of tea. She was always wearing those same pajamas. He teased her once that she didn't own any others and Kagome had just laughed and said they were her favorites.

After they had moved in together, Inuyasha remembered finding that same pair of pajamas in her drawer. They were faded at this point and starting to show their age. He had teased her about still owning them. Kagome had just giggled in a mildly embarrassed way and said how whenever she was upset or lonely or just needed a little pick me up those pajamas were what she wanted to be wrapped up in. She said that they held all of her memories of them together as they slowly got to know one another during each new moon. Inuyasha had told her that she shouldn't need them anymore because if she was sad or lonely or whatever, then he would wrap her up in his arms. Sappy, he knew, but the megawatt smile Kagome had sent his way after he said it was worth it. The smile had been followed by a kiss which had led to completely forgetting about whatever he had been doing previously. It was much later when Inuyasha realized that Kagome never did agree to throw away those old pajamas. In fact, he had come home on several occasions to find her wrapped in a blanket, staring into space, with the threadbare pajamas peeking out. Inuyasha would take that as his cue to switch into pampering mode. He would find Kagome's favorite tea mug, a white one with a surprised face on the side, and brew her some tea. Usually, the simple act of bringing his mate the tea and sitting down next to her was all that was required. Kagome would sit up and take the tea and then lean against Inuyasha's side. Pretty soon she would start talking in that quiet, contemplative way about whatever had been bothering her. Mostly it was stuff Inuyasha couldn't fix, like a problem at work. But just taking the time to listen to her and let her know he was there for her was enough. Or it used to be.

Thinking about it, Inuyasha figured he hadn't been doing too good of a job taking care of his mate recently. With an internal grimace, he wondered when was the last time he had taken his time making love to her? Sure they had sex often enough, but recently it had become more of a wham, bam, thank you, ma'am, as they tried to squeeze it in quickly before one or the other left for work or before the kids needed something. His mother-in-law, Mrs. Higurashi, used to say that "Relationships are about more than two people with great chemistry. They take communication on both parts and a willingness to set aside one's own wants and needs to put their spouse's needs first. Not all of the time. But you have to learn how to meet in the middle." Inuyasha wracked his brain trying to think of what his mate had going on right now. In truth, they hadn't seen much of each other in the last six months or so. He had been busy with the military, training new recruits, and she was busy being a doctor and a mom. His ears drooped a little on his head as he thought about how he really wasn't pulling his weight on the home front. Kagome took care of getting the kids ready for school. She helped them with homework. She arranged for them to go to their various clubs and practices. She took care of the housework, the shopping, the cooking. What did he do? He went to work. He worked his ass off and it was showing. He knew that despite his half-breed status, he was on the short list for a promotion that would mean a lot more money for them, a lot more time he could spend home with their family, and just a better life all around. He knew Kagome loved their apartment, but they needed to buy a house. A real house with a yard and more than the two bedrooms they currently had. He was grateful every day that their apartment had two bathrooms as five people all sharing one bathroom would be a nightmare. He wanted to buy Kagome a new car too. The number of hours he had spent under the hood of the clunker she currently drove were immeasurable. Not that his mate ever complained, he thought with a fanged smile. It never seemed to matter what hardships they had to endure or how much she had on her plate, Kagome took everything with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Which was why when Shippo sent that text message all Inuyasha could think about was getting home to his mate to take care of her. He may have been half-demon, but his human heart knew that he should have been doing more. He should be showing her every day how much she meant to him, how much he loved her. He had to get home.

It was two o'clock in the morning when Inuyasha pulled into his designated parking space in the garage of their building. A click of the remote on the car had it locking as Inuyasha headed for the stairs. They lived on the twenty-sixth floor but with his stamina, the stairs were a non-issue. Besides, they were a heck of a lot faster than the elevator. He crouched. The muscles in his thighs and legs clenched. Like a bullet from a gun, Inuyasha rocketed upwards, landing on a railing some ten floors up for a moment and then bouncing higher. He walked thru the door from the stairwell into their hallway less than a minute later. He jiggled the keys in his hand as he approached the door. Then he was turning the lock and stepping inside. He noticed Kagome's coat and bag hanging by the door. He could smell the hospital disinfectant and old blood on the garment. Dropping his keys into the square silver bowl by the door and slipping out of his combat boots, Inuyasha padded silently on bare feet into the living room where his nose told him he would find his mate. Kagome was asleep. Her head was resting on her arms as she leaned over the desk where she had been working on some hospital papers. Inuyasha couldn't help a small smile at the image. _'She used to pass out like that all the time when she was in school. I'd come over to visit her in her dorm and she'd be asleep at the desk as if she could learn thru osmosis just by resting her head on the books.'_ He crossed the room and gently eased her chair back from the desk. He had planned on scooping her up and taking her to bed, but Kagome's eyes fluttered open at his movement. She blinked in confusion, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Inuyasha?" The half-demon in question leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Go to bed, Kagome, it's late." He said, somewhat gruffly. Kagome frowned, her eyebrows drawing down and a V appearing between them. She glanced at the clock on the wall and then down at her case files. "What are you doing home? I thought you all were leaving for the border."

Inuyasha didn't want her to know Shippo had tipped him off so he crossed his arms over his chest and groused, "We don't leave for a few days. I needed to pick something up that I forgot. You should go to bed. It's two in the morning!" He didn't like how tired she looked. She had deep purple splotches under her eyes and her face was too pale.

"I can see that it's two in the morning, Inuyasha," Kagome huffed, "What did you forget? Do you need me to find it for you?"

"No! I don't need your help finding the…thing! Just go to bed already, wench! You look dead on your feet." He yelled.

"I look dead on my feet because that's how I feel," Kagome shoved up from the chair to get in her mate's face. "I am exhausted! But I was still willing to help you because that's what we do. But if you're just going to be a JERK then I won't bother."

"I'm not being a jerk!" Inuyasha found his temper flaring. Here he had come home to take care of her and all he wanted to do was put her to bed so she could get some rest and she was mad at him!

"Oh! Excuse me! Ordering me to bed like I'm a child who stayed up past bedtime, that's not at all a jerk thing to do." She hissed at him, eyes snapping fire.

"Well, ya sure are acting like a kid who stayed up too late!" Inuyasha snapped back.

Kagome shoved past him, heading towards the kitchen. "So now I'm a child!" she screamed. "Just look at my week, no my month! Every day I take care of everybody else. I get the kids ready for school, I pack their lunches, I take them to school, I go to work. I take care of my patients, patching people up after they've literally been torn apart. Then I wash my hands and I pick the pups up from school and take them to soccer, music lessons, play dates. I buy the groceries and come home and make dinner. You'll notice usually I leave you a plate out so that when eventually grace us with your presence you have something to eat." She stormed over to the kitchen cabinets, really on a roll now. She slammed the cabinet doors open and closed in succession. "The cabinets are bare because I haven't had time to go shopping. Because kami forbid you take notice of the grocery list and decide, hey maybe I could do the shopping this week, so my mate doesn't have to!"

"When I do the shopping, you bitch at me that I got the wrong shit!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Why can't you read a grocery list and get the right shit!" she yelled back. "You go to the store and come back with ramen and sodas!"

"What's wrong with that? You said I could have them!" Inuyasha whined.

"We can't live on ramen and sodas! The boys need stuff for their lunches and snacks for after school. Not just bags of chips! Your daughter needs diapers and wipes and formula. I ask you to pick up dinner and you come home with instant ramen." Kagome threw her hands up, exasperated now.

"The boys like ramen. And if you wanted something else for dinner, don't just say pick up dinner. Say, pick up chicken or whatever." Inuyasha grumbled. "You never tell me what you really want and then you're mad at me because I can't read your mind."

"You know what I want, Inuyasha?" Kagome glared at him and turned to point at the leaking faucet. "I want you to fix this leak! I've been asking you for two weeks now, but you can't be bothered to find the time."

"You want me to fix the leak? Fine! I'll fix the damn leak. Move!" he stormed over towards the sink.

"Not right now…" Kagome started.

"No no! You want me to fix the leak. If fixing the leak will make you happy them I'm gonna fix the fucking leak." Inuyasha reached for the tap and twisted. In his anger, he accidentally twisted the whole knob off and then water began to spray everywhere. "Shit!" he yelled trying in vain to stop the water with his bare hands. Slipping on the wet floor, Inuyasha pinwheeled his arms for balance and managed to catch himself on the edge of the counter. One of his clawed hands caught the dishtowel that was on the counter and with a crash, the couple of dishes that had been drying there were smashed on the floor. "That's just fucking perfect," Inuyasha muttered under his breath, finally dropping down to his knees and getting under the sink to turn off the water. Soaking wet, he stood back up and that's when it hit him. The smell of his mate's blood. Golden eyes jerked up to his mate who was standing on one foot in the middle of the kitchen trying to pull a piece of glass out of the other foot. "Kagome!" He was at her side in a heartbeat.

"It's fine, Inuyasha," she soothed, all anger was gone from her voice now. "It's just a scratch. See? I already pulled the glass out."

"I really am a jerk. This never would have happened if I had just fixed the leak when you first asked me to. I'm so sorry baby." Inuyasha swept his mate up in his arms, carrying her bridal style to the bathroom in their room where he knew she kept first aid supplies. He set Kagome down on the sink in the bathroom and started poking in the cabinets in search of bandaids. Kagome watched him thoughtfully. With a triumphant yell Inuyasha held up the little first aid kit and returning to Kagome's side he began to inspect her wound critically. She had a small cut to the pad of her right foot. It looked as though she had gotten all of the glass out. Inuyasha sniffed it, causing Kagome to gasp. Then he stuck out his tongue and gave the wound an experimental lick. Used to such treatment from her half-dog-demon husband, Kagome did her best to remain still as Inuyasha applied what she called "healing dog spit" to the wound, followed by a bandaid. Finally finished, he lifted his eyes to meet hers "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You're right." She said softly.

"About what? Being a jerk?"

"No, silly," Kagome giggled, "You are a jerk sometimes, but earlier you said you aren't a mind reader and you are right. I haven't been doing a very good job of telling you how I've been feeling lately. Work has been…hard." She cut her eyes away so he couldn't see just how affected she had been when she thought that the incoming half-demon soldier was her mate. But Inuyasha had seen it. He didn't know what had happened, but he could sense his mate's distress and smell her fear for him. He knew it wasn't easy being married to someone in the military and yet she did such an amazing job that he sometimes forgot the fear that she lived with whenever he had to leave.

"Kagome…I know I don't tell you enough…" he started.

"Shh…you don't have to say it," Kagome objected.

"Yes, yes I do. Kagome, you're an amazing woman. I don't know what I would do without you in my life. Somehow you manage to take care of me, our pups, and all of your patients at the hospital. I know it isn't easy and I don't make it any better. Things have been hectic at work. I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure, but hell, I'm up for a promotion."

Kagome rested her hand on her husband's shoulder, as he was still kneeling before her. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears of happiness. "That's great, Inuyasha! You work so hard! I'm glad to hear that you are finally getting the recognition that you deserve."

"Feh." Was his embarrassed response. "Anyway, I know I haven't been much help to you lately and then not even telling ya why must have been really frustrating. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I am going to work on communicating better. I know you can't read my mind and it's silly to think you would." Kagome promised. "Now take off that wet uniform before you catch a cold." She ordered in her sternest doctor voice. Inuyasha chuckled and stood up to comply. He undid the buttons on the collar of his uniform jacket and slid down the zipper, noticing as he did a sudden change in his mate's scent. With a smirk, Inuyasha let the jacket fall to the floor and then pulled his short-sleeve undershirt up and over his head, arching his back more than was strictly necessary to showcase his abs. Kagome giggled softly and he knew he was busted. He didn't care. Watching his mate now with hooded eyes, Inuyasha slowly, sensually unbuttoned his pants and slid down the zipper before letting the wet garment drop heavily to the floor. Clad only in his boxers, he prowled closer to his mate and took a long slow sniff to let her know he scented her arousal.

Inuyasha grinned down at Kagome. Their earlier fight was forgiven and on the way to being forgotten. Kagome gazed up at her mate with nothing but affection and lust in her stormy eyes. Lifting her into his arms, Inuyasha pressed his lips to hers softly. He moved them slowly back towards the bedroom. Kagome flicked off the bathroom light as they passed. Then Inuyasha was tossing his mate onto their bed and crawling up her body to once more lay his lips against hers gently. His clawed hands danced up her sides and hooked into the bottom of that old pajama top. Kagome arched her back to assist as he pulled the garment over her head. Inuyasha lay across her, holding himself up by his arms as he nipped his mate's chin affectionately. "I needed this," Kagome murmured softly, knowing he could hear. Inuyasha turned his head and nipped at the pulse point on Kagome's throat, making her gasp. "Me too, baby," he growled as he licked her throat. Then feeling his own arousal start to cloud his mind, Inuyasha pulled back slightly to gaze into his mate's face. "I love you, Kagome, and I promise I am going to try harder…" Kagome pressed her hand over her husband's mouth, heedless of his fangs. Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise. "I know you will, Inuyasha, but for right now I just want you to make love to me. We can talk in the morning." She pulled her hand away from his mouth and reached instead for one of the sensitive, fuzzy triangles resting atop his silver hair. Inuyasha moaned as he tilted his head into her touch. His last coherent thought was _'I promise you, Kagome. I am going to be a better mate to you. A better husband and father. Tonight, I just need you on my skin. I just want to hold you close and feel you pull me in. I'm going to make love to you and show you how much you mean to me. My Kagome. I love you.'_


End file.
